Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-01
OUNCE GROWING.
The Value of this Fruit for Commercial
Purposes.

The Value of this Fruit for Commercial
Purposes.
Professor George Hussman, in an es-
say upon the ounce as a market
fruit for California cultivation. says
He believed the days for making for
tunes in a few years from our vineyards
and orchards are passed that we will have
10 content ourselves with fair living profits.
Instead of making from 81 600 to 81, 200
per year from an acre of apricots and
French prunes, we will have to be satisfied
with from 500 to $500. Such fruits as will
yield sure crops annually-those of the
least perishable nature, such as will stand
transportation best and give moderate but
certain returns every season, are the safest
to tie to.
He believed in mixed farming-in di-
viding the large tracts into smaller ones,
and planting them with variety of fruits,
such as viii come in at different times,
thereby distributing labor over the whole
season, instead of running one speciality
and crowding all the labor into month or
two, is the only true solution of the labor
problem in this State. Put thrifty family
upon a hundred or even fifty-acre tract,
where they can raise their own animals
and feed for them, and succession of fruit
trees, few acres of vineyard so as to give
the members of the family employment
the year round, with one or two steady la
borers to help them, and we will come
nearer to settling the vexed labor question
than by all the restriction Acts and anti
Chinese leagues.
Since he had been in the State he had
noted with pleasure the marked success of
the ounce everywhere, with and without
irrigation. Although formerly believing
that this tree succeeded best in low, damp
ground, he has since learned that it -four
ishes and bears well even in dry soil, pro-
ducing uniform crop of good-sized, smooth
fruit. The ounces grown in California are
far superior 10 those grown in Missouri or
the Mississippi valley States.
They can be grown almost anywhere :;
are hardy and sure producers. They are
less liable TO the rayages of insect pests
than almost any other fruit. They ripen
late, and can be marketed and shipped
when other fruit is out of the way They
are less perishable, can be packed when
still green, and will ripen perfectly on the
way. They can be shipped as common
freight so there is less risk aud cost in their
transportation, and will not suffer if side
tracked for several days in transit. Mr.
Howe has 20 acres about two miles from
Sonoma, planted nine years ago, with 3, 200
trees, 16 feet apart. They have had a good
deal of fruit before, but produced the first
regular crop in 1S55-about 2,400 boxes.
These were partly shipped to New York
and st. Louis. He netted 4S cents per box
on those shipped to New York. and 81 cents
for those sent to st. Louis. This season he
estimates his crop at 6 400 boxes, or two
boxes to the tree. Some of this crop has
been sent East, from which returns have as
yet not been received. The balance was
sold in San Francisco, at an average of 40
ceffs per box, which is considered fair pay.
The Eastern market has been somewhat
glutted, but returns indicate good profit,
and will pay $50 an acre, valuing the pro-
duct at so cents per box net From the
ninth year the profit of tree may safely be
put down at 81 each. or at the rate of $3.50
an acre. Deduct $50 for cultiyatlng, pack
ing and handling, and interest on capital
invested-which is certainly high esti-
mate-would leave a clear profit of 500.
1t is a new industry, and the ventures made
50 far are mere experiments, which may be
greatly improved upon.